Vegetation’s influence on fire behavior goes beyond just being fuel
Abstract
The structure and function of fire-prone ecosystems are influenced by many interacting processes that develop over varying time scales. Fire creates both instantaneous and long-term changes in vegetation (defined as live, dead, and decomposing plant material) through combustion, heat transfer to living tissues, and subsequent patterns of recovery. While fuel available for combustion may be relative to the amount of vegetation, it is equally instructive to evaluate how the physical structure and other characteristics of vegetation influence fire dynamics, and how these interactions change between fire events. This paper presents a conceptual framework for how vegetation not only embodies the legacy of previous fires but creates the physical environment that drives fire behavior beyond its combustion as a fuel source.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1186/s42408-022-00132-9
Entities
People
- E. Louise Loudermilk
- J. Kevin Hiers
- Joseph J. O'Brien
- Nicholas S. Skowronski
- Rodman R. Linn
- Scott L. Goodrick
Organizations
- Environmental Security Technology Certification Program
- Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program